Three events this weekend. Short and in order.

Saturday, November 14, 14:30 Moscow time, UGMK Arena: Avtomobilist vs Ak Bars, KHL. The Kazan side arrive on two straight wins, 5-2 over Torpedo and 4-1 in Ufa (khl.ru). The visitors have a slight edge on form; the hosts have home ice on their side.

Sunday, November 15, 03:00 Moscow time: Washington vs New Jersey, NHL, Capital One Arena (nhl.com). A game with Russian players involved, and worth watching for the fight over standings points.

Sunday, 05:00 Moscow time: UFC 334, Madison Square Garden. In the main event, champion Ciryl Gane defends his belt against Josh Hokit; most open sources name Gane the favorite, with details in our preview. In the co-main event, Harrison faces Nunes: preview here.

This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

Which of the weekend's three events will you watch first?

Sources: khl.ru (Ak Bars results for 9.11 and 12.11, schedule), nhl.com (schedule), ufc.com (UFC 334: card start times), boxingnews.com (Gane as favorite). Data as of 13.11.2026.

Salavat Yulaev vs Ak Bars, Thursday, November 12, Ufa, puck drop at 17:00 Moscow time (hcsalavat.ru). It is the KHL's "green derby," and what makes it interesting is one number: two. That is how many times Ak Bars have already won in Ufa this season.

The first came on September 16, 4-3 in overtime. The second on October 25, 2-1 (ak-bars.ru, hcsalavat.ru). Not the most comfortable statistic for the hosts ahead of a third meeting, you'll agree.

Now to form. The Kazan side arrive after a 5-2 win over Torpedo on November 9, which snapped a run of three straight defeats, and Alexei Byvaltsev scored his 100th KHL goal in that game (ria.ru, lenta.ru). On goal difference as of November 12 it is close: Salavat 72–73, Ak Bars 60–63 (sports.ru). Both teams score and both concede, so don't expect a dull evening.

So what will decide it? Hockey loves details: power-play conversion, the first goal, nerves in overtime. Five of Ak Bars' twelve wins have come in overtime or on shootouts (sports.ru), so this team knows how to play to the very end. Ufa, meanwhile, have to show that home ice is more than a line in the box score.

Tablo has published its prediction for the game separately: Salavat Yulaev vs Ak Bars: prediction for the green derby.

Will Ak Bars' Ufa streak continue, or will the hosts finally take what is theirs?

Sources: hcsalavat.ru (date, time, venue), ak-bars.ru and hcsalavat.ru (October 25, 2026 game, 2-1), ria.ru and lenta.ru (Ak Bars 5-2 Torpedo, November 9, 2026), sports.ru (KHL standings as of November 12, 2026). Data as of November 12, 2026.

Preview of Severstal vs Traktor: Friday, November 13, Cherepovets, Ice Palace, puck drop at 19:00 Moscow time. Let's look at it calmly, without unnecessary emotion.

Goal difference: Severstal 59–57, Traktor 57–62 (sports.ru). The hosts are a little more reliable in defense. Form: Cherepovets recently beat Lada 4-3 and Sochi 4-1, but before that lost to Shanghai 1-3 and to Spartak 1-5. Traktor arrive on the back of a 5-2 win over Shanghai and a 5-3 win over Ak Bars (sportmail.ru).

The head-to-head is even: of the last ten meetings, each side has won five. They last played on February 20, 2026, when Traktor won 5-2; before that, on December 1, 2025, Severstal won 3-2 (sportmail.ru).

Verdict: a slight edge to Severstal, thanks to home ice and a more modest goals-against figure. But Traktor are on the rise, so expect a hard-fought game. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

What will matter more in Cherepovets: Severstal's home ice or Traktor's winning run?

Sources: sportmail.ru (match page for November 13, 2026, 19:00: form and head-to-head), sports.ru (KHL standings as of November 12, 2026). Data as of November 12, 2026.

Harrison vs. Nunes, UFC 334! Saturday, November 14, Madison Square Garden, New York, and a women's title fight that goes on second on the night, right after Gane vs. Hokit. The main card starts at 9:00 p.m. New York time, which is 05:00 Moscow time on Sunday, November 15 (ufc.com).

Here's the picture. Kayla Harrison is the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, and she is defending her belt. Her record is 19 wins and one loss. Across from her is Amanda Nunes, a former two-division champion, who stands at 23 wins and five losses. According to agentmma.com, the fight was rescheduled and now sits on this very card.

UFC president Dana White, as reported by mmasucka.com, said this could be the greatest women's fight in history. Big words, but there is a reason for them: the champion is facing someone who held two belts for a long time herself.

When to watch: the early prelims start at 01:00 Moscow time on November 15, the prelims at 03:00, the main card at 05:00. The key number in this note is 05:00 Moscow time.

Who do you think walks out of the cage with the belt: champion Harrison or former champion Nunes?

Sources: ufc.com (UFC 334 page: date, card start time, title fights), agentmma.com (Harrison defends her title against Nunes), cagesidepress.com (UFC 334 co-main event at Madison Square Garden), mmasucka.com (Dana White's comments). Data as of 12.11.2026.

Good evening, dear friends! Here is our prediction for Harrison vs. Nunes at UFC 334, Saturday, November 14, Madison Square Garden, New York. The main card starts at 05:00 Moscow time on Sunday.

Let's look at the numbers. Champion Kayla Harrison: 19 wins, one loss. Amanda Nunes: 23 wins and five losses, a former two-division champion. Experience favors Nunes; the current title and a shorter list of losses favor Harrison. The Combat Edge model, built on Elo ratings, gives the champion 55 percent; on the Elo rating alone, with no adjustments, Nunes is slightly ahead at 52 percent.

Our take: a small edge to Harrison, because she comes in holding the belt and in the fighting shape of a reigning champion. But the margin is thin, and a fight like this can be decided by a single moment. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result. The information is for reference only.

What matters more in this fight: the title in the champion's hands or Nunes's experience in big fights?

Sources: ufc.com (UFC 334: title fight, start time), agentmma.com (Harrison is the reigning champion), combat-edge.com (Elo-based model: 55% and 52%). Data as of 12.11.2026.

ATP Finals, Turin, November 15: from that date, Russian tennis fans have a reason to stay glued to the screen again. Daniil Medvedev is among the eight best players of the season who will play for the title at the Inalpi Arena from November 15 to 22 (atptour.com).

The line-up is an interesting one. Alongside Medvedev are Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar. Zverev, as ATP writes, is chasing a third title at the event. For anyone following Russian players, the key point is that Medvedev is the only one of ours there, and each of his appearances will be an event.

The format is a familiar one: eight players are split into two groups of four, and the top two from each group reach the semifinals. The draw takes place on Thursday, November 12, at 12:00 (the time is given on the ATP website). The group stage runs from Sunday, November 15, to Friday, November 20. Day sessions of singles matches start at 14:00 local time, which is 16:00 Moscow time; evening sessions start no earlier than 20:30 local time, which is no earlier than 22:30 Moscow time. The semifinals are on Saturday, November 21, and the final on Sunday, November 22, with the singles final at 18:00 local time, 20:00 Moscow time.

Who plays whom, and when Medvedev takes the court, will become clear after the draw. We'll follow it and report back.

How far do you think Medvedev will go in Turin: the group stage, the semifinals or the final?

Sources: atptour.com (Nitto ATP Finals 2026: dates, field, format, draw, session schedule), t-j.ru (ATP Finals 2026: dates and venue). Data as of 11.11.2026.

Our prediction for the ATP Finals, Turin, November 15–22. Eight players, two groups, one champion. The balance of power will be set by the draw on November 12 at 12:00, and until then any talk of favorites is talk about class, not about the bracket.

Two players stand out on class. Alexander Zverev, who, according to ATP, is chasing a third title at the event: he has the experience of the final weeks of the season. And Carlos Alcaraz, a player who makes any group look tougher. Alongside them are Daniil Medvedev, the only Russian in the field, as well as Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar.

Our take: in a short group of three matches, what decides things is not form on paper but the first two days. Whoever manages to win the first match earns the right to make a mistake. The winner will most likely come from Zverev and Alcaraz, the two named above, but Medvedev and any of the others need only a lucky group to reach the semifinals. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

Who among the eight do you think is the main contender for the title in Turin?

Sources: atptour.com (Nitto ATP Finals 2026: field, format, draw on November 12, Zverev chasing a third title). Data as of 11.11.2026.

On Tuesday, November 10, at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Russia's Polina Dmitrieva won the individual all-around in artistic gymnastics. She took gold by a margin of about one point: that is what the Olympic information service writes on olympics.com, while intlgymnast.com puts the gap at "exactly one point."

Let's go through it in order. Silver went to France's Louane Plisson, bronze to Zhong Qi of China. According to olympics.com, Dmitrieva is 14, and she took the lead in the overall standings after the second apparatus, the uneven bars, and never gave it up. In gymnastics, the all-around is the most honest exam: there is nowhere to hide behind a strong apparatus, all four events are scored, and any mistake shows up in the total.

The context matters. A day earlier, Daniil Smirnov won the men's all-around: we wrote about his final the day before. For a team of 13 athletes in nine sports, competing in Dakar under its flag and anthem, that makes two golds in one sport in two days. Earlier, the team's medal haul included wins by swimmers Serafima Fokina and Bogdan Toropkin.

What's next. The Games run until November 13, and gymnastics wraps up with the mixed team event on November 11.

After a win like this at 14, what matters more for a gymnast: growing calmly or already preparing for senior competitions?

Sources: olympics.com (Dakar 2026, Olympic information service: Dmitrieva and Smirnov win all-around gold; medalists, age, course of the competition), intlgymnast.com (Smirnov, Youth Olympic all-around, 10.11.2026; Dmitrieva won by "exactly one point"), en.wikipedia.org (women's and men's all-around medalists), sportmail.ru and fontanka.ru (Russia's team roster, flag and anthem). Data as of 11.11.2026.

Saturday, November 14, Madison Square Garden, New York, and the main event of the night! Ciryl Gane makes his first defense of the UFC heavyweight belt against Josh Hokit. Our prediction for Gane vs. Hokit: the favorite is the champion.

The arguments are simple. Gane is the reigning titleholder: on June 14, at the event at the White House, he stopped Alex Pereira by TKO. Most open sources, including boxingnews.com, name him as the favorite. But Hokit is no extra! At that same event he knocked out Derrick Lewis, and now he steps into the night's main event for the first time.

In the heavyweight division, one punch can wipe out everything, so the word "favorite" here does not mean "guarantee." Our take: more often than not, fights like this are won by main-event experience, that is, by Gane, but a surprise is possible if Hokit gets to the champion in the early rounds. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

Will Gane withstand Hokit's pressure in the early rounds, or will the fight be decided at range?

Sources: boxingnews.com (Gane is the favorite at UFC 334), agentmma.com (event card), fieldlevelmedia.com (Gane's title defense, UFC's return to Madison Square Garden). Data as of 11.11.2026.

UFC 334, Saturday, November 14, Madison Square Garden, New York. The main event: Ciryl Gane defends the UFC heavyweight title against Josh Hokit. There are no results yet, as the event is still ahead, which makes it all the more interesting to look at what is known today.

Look at how the matchup shapes up! Gane is the champion, and this is his first title defense. This summer, on June 14, at the event at the White House in Washington, he stopped Alex Pereira by TKO. Hokit is headlining for the first time: he has never fought in the main event of a night. At that same White House event he knocked out Derrick Lewis, and now he has a shot at the belt.

The co-main event is a women's title fight: Kayla Harrison meets Amanda Nunes. For combat sports fans, that is almost two main events in one evening.

The key number in this note is November 14. The weigh-ins, according to sources, are set for November 13. Sources give different start times for the event, so we are not stating the exact time in Moscow and are not putting it on the schedule until UFC confirms it. The card may change, which is normal in mixed martial arts, so keep an eye on updates at ufc.com.

Who do you think will break the pattern of the fight first: the experienced champion Gane or main-event debutant Hokit?

Sources: boxingnews.com (UFC 334: Gane vs. Hokit, main event, Madison Square Garden, White House), agentmma.com (UFC 334 card, Harrison vs. Nunes), fieldlevelmedia.com (UFC's return to Madison Square Garden, Gane's title defense), ESPN (event page). Data as of 11.11.2026.

Overnight into Friday, November 13, at 03:00 Moscow time, Washington visits New Jersey at Prudential Center (Tablo schedule, based on nhl.com). Our preview of Devils vs. Capitals is a short one, because we don't have much reliable data.

What we know for certain: on November 1, Washington lost to Minnesota 1-5 (nhl.com, yourvalley.net). That's a fresh wound, and in the NHL such wounds either heal quickly or bleed for weeks. On the night of November 11, Washington plays in Ottawa; we could not find the result as of writing, so we are not factoring it into the visitors' form.

What we don't know: the standings, New Jersey's lineup, this season's head-to-head meetings. Open sources did not show them in search results. Naming a favorite without them would be guessing. So our conclusion is a cautious one: the home side is slightly ahead simply because of the home arena, but a game with Ovechkin in the visitors' lineup easily turns any logic upside down. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

What matters more for Washington on this road trip: restoring confidence on defense or making sure Ovechkin doesn't go without a goal?

Sources: nhl.com (Minnesota vs. Washington 5-1 recap, 1.11.2026), yourvalley.net (game details), Tablo Mir schedule (13.11, 03:00 Moscow time, per nhl.com). New Jersey's standings, lineup and head-to-head history were not found. Data as of 11.11.2026.

Ak Bars vs Torpedo, KHL, Monday, November 9, Tatneft Arena. Kazan won 5-2 and snapped a run of three straight defeats. Hockey is a game for the patient: three nights when nothing works, and on the fourth everything falls into place. Provided, of course, you give it a proper helping hand.

The help came early. Stepan Terekhov opened the scoring in the 7th minute, Albert Yarullin followed, and by the tenth minute it was 2-0. In the 12th, Igor Geraskin brought Torpedo back into the game, but that was as far as it went. Semyon Terekhov, Alexei Byvaltsev and Andrei Stas each added a goal, and only late on did Pavel Kraskovsky sweeten the evening a little for the visitors. Note that both Terekhov brothers, Stepan and Semyon, scored on the same night. A family affair, no other way to put it.

But the number of the night is one hundred. Alexei Byvaltsev's goal was the 100th of his KHL career. Round numbers rarely arrive with fanfare: an ordinary November game, an ordinary shot, and yet that line will stay in the forward's biography forever. For Anvar Gatiyatulin's team the goal came at just the right time, twice over: the losing streak is over, and it ended with conviction.

In the standings, Ak Bars, with 26 points, moved up to third place in the Eastern Conference. Torpedo, with 31 points, remain third in the West: the Nizhny Novgorod side lost but kept their position.

Ak Bars' next game is on November 12: the green derby in Ufa against Salavat Yulaev, puck drop at 17:00 Moscow time. A day earlier, Torpedo play away at CSKA: our preview of that game.

Is the win over Torpedo the start of a new run for Ak Bars, or just a good night before a tough trip to Ufa?

Sources: ria.ru ("Ak Bars beat Torpedo and snap losing streak in the KHL," November 9, 2026: score, scorers, Byvaltsev's 100th goal, standings), lenta.ru (November 10, 2026: score, scorers, Byvaltsev's 100 goals, upcoming games), sovsport.ru (November 9, 2026: game flow, Gatiyatulin, 26 and 31 points), kazan.aif.ru (November 9, 2026: third place, game in Ufa on November 12 at 17:00 Moscow time), sport-express.net (November 9, 2026: 5-2, standings). Data as of November 10, 2026.

Wednesday, November 11, 19:30 Moscow time, CSKA Arena. Preview of CSKA vs Torpedo: first hosts third! CSKA lead the Western Conference with 37 points; Torpedo have 31 and sit third.

Form favors the hosts. On November 9 the Army men beat Sibir 4-1, with Dmitry Buchelnikov scoring twice. The same evening, the Nizhny Novgorod side lost 2-5 to Ak Bars in Kazan. This season's head-to-head also belongs to CSKA: on September 18 in Nizhny Novgorod the Muscovites won 3-2, and Daniil Seroukh scored both of Torpedo's goals.

Verdict: CSKA are the favorites. Home ice, a fresh win, first place and a won head-to-head. But it is too early to write off Torpedo: nobody gets third place in the West by accident, and after the loss in Kazan the visitors have something to prove. We expect a tight game with the edge to the hosts. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

Will Torpedo answer the leader after the setback in Kazan, or will CSKA again prove stronger, as in September?

Sources: torpedohockey.ru and cska-hockeyclub.ru (schedules: November 11, 19:30, CSKA Arena), matchtv.ru (match page for November 11, 2026, 19:30), cska-hockey.com (Western standings: CSKA 37, Torpedo 31), sb.by (CSKA 4-1 Sibir, 37 points, November 10, 2026), cska-hockey.ru (4-1 game report, two goals by Buchelnikov), ria.ru and lenta.ru (Ak Bars 5-2 Torpedo), sport-express.net and news.sportbox.ru (September 18, 2026: Torpedo 2-3 CSKA, Seroukh's two goals). Data as of November 10, 2026.

The Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, and here is a Russian who leaves his rivals no chance! Bogdan Toropkin won the 200 metres freestyle in 1 minute 47.78 seconds, his second gold at the Games in Senegal (TASS, Friday, November 6).

Let's count the medals, friends! Gold in the 100 metres freestyle, silver in the 400, and now a second top prize. That makes three medals at a single Games, and that with only 13 athletes in nine sports on Russia's entry list for Dakar. They compete under their own flag and anthem: at the opening ceremony it was Toropkin and swimmer Serafima Fokina who carried the tricolor around the main arena, and Fokina was the first to bring the team gold, in the 100 metres butterfly.

The Games run from October 31 to November 13, so the Russians still have events to come. Today, November 10, at 14:30 Moscow time, Daniil Smirnov competes in the artistic gymnastics all-around final. The pool has done its work; now it is the turn of the floor and the apparatus.

The number of this note is three: Toropkin's medals in five days of swimming.

What matters more to you at the Youth Olympics: quick medals, or the future stars we will see in senior sport?

Sources: tass.com (Toropkin, 200m freestyle, 1:47.78, November 6, 2026), aif.ru (Russia's first gold: Fokina), sportmail.ru (entry list: 13 athletes, flag and anthem), fontanka.ru (Russian schedule, Smirnov's final on November 10 at 14:30 Moscow time, November 1, 2026). The race result was found in one agency only (TASS); the Games' official results were not checked. Data as of November 10, 2026.

On the night of Wednesday, November 11, at 03:00 Moscow time, Minnesota play in Montreal, at the Bell Centre (Tablo schedule based on nhl.com). This preview of Montreal vs Minnesota sticks to what we know and doesn't invent what we don't.

We know little, but there is something. On November 1, Minnesota beat Washington 5-1: Quinn Hughes and Michael McCarron scored twice in the first 5:27, and Kirill Kaprizov got a goal and reached 500 NHL points (nhl.com, yourvalley.net). A good starting point for the visitors, and a fine number for Kaprizov.

What we don't know: Montreal's current form, the standings and this season's head-to-head did not turn up in open sources. Naming a favorite without them is like betting on red with your eyes closed. So the conclusion is modest: Minnesota have a fresh, convincing win and a leader on a roll, while the hosts have home ice. The edge to the visitors is minimal. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

Can Kaprizov add a productive night in Montreal to his 500 points on this road trip?

Sources: nhl.com (Minnesota vs Washington game report, November 1, 2026), yourvalley.net (5-1, early goals by Hughes and McCarron), Tablo Mir schedule (03:00 Moscow time, November 11, based on nhl.com). Montreal's standings and head-to-head history were not found. Data as of November 10, 2026.

Ak Bars preview for Thursday: on Nov. 12 at 17:00 Moscow time, Salavat Yulaev host Ak Bars in Ufa. The Green Derby, dear friends, is the kind of game where the standings take a back seat.

And the standings are worrying for the Kazan side right now. Ak Bars have lost three straight and slipped to 10th in the East with 24 points; Salavat have 25, one more (data as of the morning of Nov. 9). One caveat: tonight Kazan play at home against Torpedo, so the picture will shift again by Thursday.

In the visitors' favor is this season's history: Ak Bars won both games in Ufa — 4-3 in overtime on Sept. 16 and 2-1 on Oct. 25. In the hosts' favor are home ice and the opponent's prolonged slump.

Verdict: an even game with a minimal edge to Salavat, thanks to home ice and Kazan's losing run. But if Ak Bars snap the streak against Torpedo, I'm betting on a tight game down to the last minute. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

What will weigh more on Thursday: Ak Bars' two wins in Ufa this season, or their three straight losses?

Sources: hcsalavat.ru (match page for 12.11.2026, 17:00 Moscow time, and head-to-head history: 16.09 — 3:4), ak-bars.ru ("Salavat Yulaev — Ak Bars 1:2", 25.10.2026), hcsalavat.ru ("Salavat Yulaev lose at home to Ak Bars", 25.10.2026), forepitch.com (head-to-head, 16.09 — 3:4 OT), kazan.aif.ru (three straight losses, 10th in the East, 09.11.2026), sport-express.net (Eastern Conference standings as of 09.11.2026). Data as of 09.11.2026.

UFC results from Saturday night in Las Vegas — and what a finish, friends! Johnny Walker stopped Waldo Cortes-Acosta in the third round of the main event of UFC Fight Night (UFC Vegas 124). The TKO came at 2:27. The heavyweight bout took place on Nov. 7 at the Meta APEX.

A reminder of how this fight ended up at the top of the card. Originally Bonfim vs. Brady was announced as the headliner, but Sean Brady dropped out, and the Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker pairing took its place. Cortes-Acosta was called the favorite going in, and he was also eager to snap a two-fight skid of decision losses. It turned out the opposite! On Saturday we wrote that a replacement in the UFC is a classic recipe for an upset. Here is the upset in all its glory.

The rest of the main card, per the official ufc.com page. Tatiana Suarez beat Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision. Elijah Smith knocked out Davey Grant in the first round, inside the first minute. Nina Milošević knocked out Priscila Cachoeira in the second round. Lucas Fernando and Mitch Raposo won by decision over Billy Elekana and Marcos Degli, respectively. In all, of the six main card fights, three ended in knockouts. Not for the faint of heart, as they say!

The number of the night is 2:27 of the third round: that is exactly how long it took Walker to turn the whole Saturday on its head.

What do you think: is a last-minute replacement a trap for the favorite, or a chance for the man with nothing to lose?

Sources: ufc.com (UFC Fight Night event page, 7.11.2026: main card results), ufcalendar.com (main event Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker, TKO, round 3, 2:27), cagesidepress.com and mmasucka.com (Brady replacement, main event Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker), clutchpoints.com (pre-fight preview: Cortes-Acosta the favorite). On the ufc.com page the fights were marked "Live now," but the main event result matched in a second source; video and judges' scorecards were not checked. Data as of 09.11.2026.

On the night of Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 03:00 Moscow time, Washington take the ice in Ottawa, at the Canadian Tire Centre (sportmail.ru). A preview of Ottawa vs. Washington comes with caveats, and I'll name them right away: open sources gave me no fresh data on Ottawa, so I won't pick a favorite from the standings. Better to stay silent than to make things up.

What we know about the visitors. In the latest report I found — on the game against Minnesota, which Washington lost 5-1 — Ovechkin played 13 minutes 7 seconds and finished without a point: the fifth straight game with no productive plays (sportmail.ru). That report is no longer fresh: Washington have played since, so the streak may have ended long ago — check nhl.com. Still, one guest in Ottawa is the main intrigue anyway: when a player has gone a long time without points, his every shift is an event.

Verdict: a toss-up on paper, no lean toward the hosts or the visitors. Worth watching for Ovechkin and for the question of whether Washington has returned to the kind of games they are loved for. This is the editors' opinion, not a guarantee of the result.

Who, in your view, should carry Washington through this road trip — Ovechkin or the rest of the team?

Sources: sportmail.ru (match page Ottawa — Washington, 11.11.2026, 03:00 Moscow time, Canadian Tire Centre; report on Minnesota — Washington 5:1), Tablo Mir schedule. Ottawa's standings, lineups and head-to-head history were not found. Data as of 09.11.2026.

Calmly, without fuss: the Grand Prix of China figure skating event in Shenzhen is over, and Russia has two podium finishers. Vladislav Dikidzhi is second, Evgeni Semenenko third. Both competed as neutral athletes.

The standings by total score over the two programs. First place: Japan's Kao Miura, 293.25. Dikidzhi 282.44, Semenenko 281.62. Just 0.82 points between our skaters — as in hockey, where a single centimeter at the goal decides it.

How they got there. After the short program on Nov. 6, Semenenko was third (99.72) and Dikidzhi fourth (98.86). In Sunday's free skate Dikidzhi scored 183.58, Semenenko 181.90. The 1.68-point gap in the free skate was enough for Dikidzhi to overtake his compatriot and climb from fourth to second. Miura kept the lead he took in the short program (102.90).

What it means. For the Russians back at international events, this is the first stage of the season with two medalists at once. As for Tokyo, where Dikidzhi is entered as his second event, that is a conversation for closer to the start.

What do you think: is this form enough for Dikidzhi to go for gold in Tokyo?

Sources: metaratings.ru ("Dikidzhi second at Grand Prix stage in China, Semenenko takes bronze", 08.11.2026), 1istochnik.ru ("Dikidzhi and Semenenko take silver and bronze at Grand Prix of China", 08.11.2026), sport-express.net (short program, 6.11.2026). Totals checked against the short and free program scores. The ISU protocol was not opened. Data as of 08.11.2026.

Attention, Shenzhen! Grand Prix of China figure skating, men's short program, Friday, Nov. 6 — and two of our skaters are right in the thick of the fight! Evgeni Semenenko scored 99.72 and is third; Vladislav Dikidzhi, 98.86, is fourth. Both compete as neutral athletes.

Who's ahead? Japan's Kao Miura leads with 102.90. His countryman Shun Sato is second with 101.97. Fifth is Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, 94.87; sixth is Poland's Vladimir Samoilov, 88.21. See how tight it is? From the leader to Semenenko is 3.18 points, to Dikidzhi a little over four.

How ours skated. Semenenko: a clean quad Rittberger, a quad Salchow–triple toe loop combination and a triple Axel; nearly all the non-spin elements received Level 4. Dikidzhi: a quad Lutz–triple toe loop combination, a triple Axel, all three spins and a step sequence at Level 4. But the quad Salchow came up a quarter short on rotation, and the mark for it was reduced. That's the price of four points!

What's next? Everything will be decided by the free skate on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 08:00 Moscow time: places will be set by the total of the two programs. It will be shown in Russia on Okko, by subscription. A detailed look at the chances is in our preview of the day.

What do you think: which of the Russians has the easier route to catching the Japanese in the free skate — Semenenko or Dikidzhi?

Sources: sport-express.net (men's short program results, Grand Prix of China, 6.11.2026; preview: free skate at 08:00 Moscow time on 8.11, Okko), sports.ru and sovsport.ru (Semenenko, short program). Data as of 08.11.2026; free skate results were not available at the time of publication.